Weiss Christmas
by Inthretis
Summary: Ruby is bummed out by a lot of things this Christmas Eve, from her dad and uncle not being home, to her partner being "busy" for Christmas. Well, things take a turn for the strange when she wakes up in the middle of the night and sees a familiar face donning a red suit and hat, handing out gifts under the Christmas tree...
1. Weiss Christmas

Ruby pouted in her bed. Then she squirmed back and forth beneath her thick blanket. She had to be very careful with how she positioned her head. Despite being an elite academy, Beacon apparently couldn't bother with paying the heating of their students' dorms at night. As such, Ruby has to make sure her head was covered enough, but close enough to the edge to get fresh air from outside.

That was one of three reasons she was pouting underneath her covers in the middle of the night. The second was the fact that she was at Beacon on Christmas Eve.

It was fine though! Her team was there, most of them anyway, as well as Team JNPR. It's just Ruby also wanted to be home for Christmas. Unfortunately, her dad and uncle were trapped while on a mission, stuck in a sandstorm in Vacuo. Freaking weather.

She peeked out from her blanket and stared out the window. It was lightly snowing, and the thought of the glass panes creaking open made Ruby involuntarily shiver.

The third reason was Weiss. Her partner was, well…

* * *

" _Come on, Weiss! Let's celebrate Christmas together!"_

" _I'm afraid I'm busy then."_

" _Oh, you're going home with your family?"_

" _They're busy too. It's fine, I'll do what I need to do alone. I do it every year anyways."_

" _What? But… being alone on Christmas."_

" _I don't really celebrate it."_

" _Whaaaat? Don't celebrate Christmas? What about any of the other Winter holidays?"_

" _No, none. Never really saw the point."_

" _That's terrible!"_

" _Oh hush Ruby, it is not."_

" _What's so important that you're going to miss Christmas?"_

" _It's personal, but I assure you it is indeed important. More important than spending Christmas together."_

" _Weiss…"_

" _I have to go. I'll be back in a few days."_

* * *

And then Weiss left Beacon to who-knows-where in Vale.

Ruby grumbled even more. Darn it. She couldn't sleep. Bracing herself, she threw off her blanket and jumped down to the floor, careful not to make a noise on the creaky floorboards. She shivered and rubbed her arms, then reached for the white nightgown nearby. It was a birthday gift from Weiss, and was white as her hair. Ruby put it on over her pajamas and got her slippers, then walked out of her dorm.

It was a tired walk to the the student lounge, and using her scroll as the only source of light made Beacon's long empty hallways eerily calm in the dead of night, especially on Christmas Eve.

She slowly opened the door and walked inside. Ruby then took the recliner facing the Christmas tree and pointed it towards the fireplace. Using a small dust crystal, she relit the fire.

Lying down in the recliner, its cold leather slowly warming up as the fire's soft glow lit up the room, Ruby snuggled up under her blanket. Her eyelids flitted shut, and as she stared at the tree ornaments shining in the light, she finally fell asleep.

* * *

"Hot hot hot!" a feminine voice urgently whispered as a woman jumped out of the fireplace. She brushed the soot off her red suit before mumbling, "Gods, I cannot believe there are students here who still believe in Santa Claus."

She snapped her fingers, and a large white bag followed her from the chimney above and landed on the burning logs, only to fall out and roll towards her. The fire went out.

The woman adjusted her red cap and dragged her bag over to the tree. She reached inside the sack and pulled out a long box, wrapped in green paper with snowflakes on it, and placed it under the tree.

"For Nora," she said before reaching for another gift: a small palm-sized box, wrapped in blue paper with tiny tree designs on it, "For Coco Adel."

She then reached deeper in her bag, moving her arm around aimlessly looking for a certain gift, "Don't tell me… Ruby and the dolt want experiences instead of boxables!"

"Great, I'll have to come back. I bet Arc wants a kiss or something. Just great," she turned around and began walking back to the fireplace, only for, in the dark, her foot to hit something. She stumbled, but quickly turned her momentum. With good luck, she would fall and land on her hand, then she would twist into a cartwheel.

Her luck was never that great.

She landed with an "Oof," and it normally wouldn't have garnered any attention. However, she was unlucky that day, and the object she hit right then was a table and tray, and on that table and tray were a small pile of cookies and a glass of milk left for Santa.

And if there was a sound that could wake Ruby Rose up, it was the sound of spilled milk and fallen cookies.

Silver eyes darted in the darkness. Said darkness was a cover for the red coated woman, that was until the log in the fireplace spontaneously burst into flames again.

Very bad luck indeed.

"Weiss?" Ruby blinked and rubbed her eyes.

Said Weiss was deathly still, as if movement would confirm what Ruby was seeing wasn't a figment of her imagination.

Ruby blinked, "What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that?"

"W-who is this Weiss you speak of? I am not her, ho ho ho!" Weiss gave off a merry laugh as she posed audaciously, "I am merely Santa Claus, taking on a familiar form to ease your mind towards my very existence. Shocking, no?"

Ruby wasn't fooled, "Weiss I know it's you."

The white-haired girl visibly deflated, "Damn it, it always works for Whitley," she scratched the back of her neck, "This is awkward. I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

"Yeah," Ruby started, "Why are you here, pretending to be Santa Claus?"

"Well… you see…" Weiss sheepishly grinned, "I'm not pretending. I actually am Santa."

"Uh huh," Ruby raised an eyebrow, "Right, like that makes any sense. Come on Weiss, just tell me what's really going on, I won't mind," her eyes shone brightly, "Ohmygosh did you sneak in here to give us all gifts?"

"... Yes," Weiss nodded, "That is exactly what I'm doing, yep. Just dropping off some gifts for you guys like uh," she reached into her bag and pulled out a large dust crystal. She muttered, "This belongs to Isabella."

"Who?" Ruby tilted her head.

"No one! I'm just mixing up the presents I had for you guys. I left them somewhere else so I gotta go bye!" Weiss then took her bag and rushed away from Ruby and out of the room.

That would have been the end of it for Ruby, thinking her partner was just acting weird, had she gone out the door. But out of habit, Weiss made another mistake, and in her rush to escape, left the way she came in. Up the chimney.

Ruby's eyes widened as she saw Weiss suddenly vanish up the fireplace. Her mind began racing a mile a minute, and her feet began moving. She activated her semblance and darted out the door.

Rushing across Beacon, she went up stair after stair, floor after floor, until she opened the door to the rooftop. She practically catapulted herself out into the snow, her nightgown getting slightly soaked as she came to see the most bewildering thing imaginable.

A glowing white sleigh sat on the rooftop, and at its front were two glowing white reindeer. The vehicle shone like a beacon in the dark night, the only other lights being the faraway city of Vale. And there was Weiss, placing down her sack of gifts and sitting in the seat.

"Uhh," Ruby's eyes were starting to glaze over.

"Eep!" Weiss squeaked out. She hurriedly grabbed the reins and shouted, "Mush!"

The reindeer neighed and began trotting, slowly pulling the sleigh into the air.

Ruby snapped out of her awe and ran up to the sleigh and jumped off the rooftop. Her hands grabbed onto the sleigh's side. The sleigh had gone off the roof and now flew above Beacon's courtyard, "Weiss!"

"Ah! Ruby!" Weiss shrieked, "What are you doing?! You're going to fall!"

"What are _you_ doing?!" Ruby screamed back as she clung to the side of the sleigh.

"My job you idiot!" Weiss held the reins with one hand and leaned to the side, reaching out to pull Ruby up. Her partner quickly took her hand, and Weiss pulled her into the seat next to her. The sleigh kept gaining height, and in moments, they were above the clouds.

The sight was breathtaking. Ruby scanned around her, and as far as the eye could see, there were clouds basking in the glow of the shattered moon above, and stars that shone upon her face. In one direction, she made out the skyline of Vale as the sleigh made its way in that direction.

A minute passed and Ruby finally focused on the her partner steering the sleigh, "Weiss? You're Santa?"

Weiss turned to Ruby and smiled, "Yep, I am."

"Whoa."

"Indeed. Come on, I'm behind schedule. These gifts aren't going to deliver themselves," Weiss flicked the reins and the sleigh zoomed across the sky.

* * *

They landed on a the rooftop of a house at the edge of Vale. The house had some lights hanging up, but other than that, it was dark. Weiss plopped herself off her sleigh and took her bag.

Ruby jumped out after her, "So how are you Santa?"

"Family business. My grandfather was Santa, and my mother, brother, sister, and I are the current Santas. We divide up Remnant and deliver presents accordingly. My brother, as the youngest, takes Atlas. I'm here in Vale already for Beacon, so I'm taking it this year."

Weiss slid across the slanted roof with her glyphs until she reached the chimney, "Wait here, it'll only take a second."

Ruby, balancing carefully, raised a hand, "Weiss, that chimney is like, five inches wide."

Weiss smirked at her partner and jumped. Ruby watched her land on the chimney, but instead of breaking it, she somehow stretched and shrunk her way inside.

Ruby's mouth was agape the full minute it took for Weiss to return, popping out of the chimney and balancing on a glyph.

Another smirk and Weiss spoke, "To answer your question, the Schnee semblance has very useful additional abilities between the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth of December. I can summon a sleigh and a bag of infinite size filled with untold gifts, can travel through any chimney or chimney equivalent, and I know exactly what present to give to every child that believes."

She slid her way back into her sleigh, and as Ruby got back in, Weiss added, "This has been the duty of the Schnee family for generations," she flicked her reins and the sleigh took off.

"Every year?" Ruby asked.

"We skipped two during the Great War, but other than that, we've been doing this for over a thousand years, give or take," Weiss smiled, "This is my seventh year, and my fourth year doing it alone."

"Wait seven years? You mean you've been doing it since you were ten?!"

"Yep, although at first I just rode around with my mother, sort of like what you're doing now," the sleigh landed again and Weiss got out, "Come on, I'll show you," she stretched out her hand again. Ruby took it.

* * *

"This is the house of Feldspar Flanagan. He's nine years old and he's wanted the newest game since April," Weiss whispered as the two of them snuck around the corner and tiptoed across the living room.

Ruby shivered, "We stretched and shrunk into the chimney… I mean, how?"

The white-haired Santa shrugged, "The magic of Christmas."

"Sure, let's just go with that. No other questions at all. Ooh cookies," Ruby pointed out the tray set aside for Santa, "You gonna eat that?"

"You can have them," Weiss waved her hand as she crept towards the tree, "They're store bought anyways."

"Okay," Ruby munched and gobbled the plate of cookies, swigging down the milk as well.

"Keep it down though," Weiss reached into her bag. Then she pulled a red gift-wrapped box, "Feldspar's been a good kid this year."

"Really?" Ruby stalked up next to Weiss, "How do you know?"

Weiss squinted her eyes, "He broke his neighbor's window, but later confessed to it to his mom. He's been working a lemonade stand to pay his neighbor back."

Ruby blinked, "That is spooky," she then eagerly smiled, "Ooh! What do I want? Tell me, read my mind!"

Weiss snorted, "What makes you think you've been nice this year?"

"I've thwarted a bunch of criminals lately," Ruby pointed out.

"True," Weiss placed the dust crystal under the tree, "But as Santa, I do make the ultimate decision. And you've been quite difficult this past year."

Ruby paled as Weiss grabbed her hand and pulled her through the chimney.

* * *

The next house was awkward.

"Are you sure we can't arrest them?" Ruby tittered.

"No," Weiss glared back, "Christmas is a sacred holiday, a temporal neutral ground for everyone, regardless of race, kingdom, or allegiances."

"But they're naughty!" Ruby whined.

"Then they get what they deserve," Weiss reached into her bag and pulled out a large dust crystal. She placed it beneath the tree and walked back to Ruby.

"You do realize that you're Weiss Schnee, giving Roman Torchwick and his evil minion, who have been stealing SDC dust for months now, dust for Christmas?" Ruby raised an eyebrow.

Weiss scowled, "I don't make the rules, especially not the punishments."

"Can we really not do anything?" Ruby asked as they walked back to the sleigh.

Weiss shook her head, "The last time someone in my family tried to use the powers of Santa for non-Christmas related activities, we lost all of it during the Great War."

"So you can't do anything," Ruby said.

"No, not without risking the loss of not only Santa, but also the Schnee semblance itself for everyone, for years," Weiss sighed, "It isn't fair, but it is what it is. The Schnees have been in this role for centuries."

Ruby sighed, but then she smiled and lightly punched Weiss in the shoulder, "It's not perfect, but who can say they make hundreds of kids smile on Christmas day?"

Weiss smiled back, "Now you're getting into the Christmas spirit. Focus not on what you don't have, but what you _do_ have!"

* * *

They soared through the air after another dozen houses had presents delivered. Ruby still marveled at the sight of Vale on Christmas Eve.

"Wait! What about gifts that can't be wrapped?" Ruby asked loudly over the wind.

"Well we try our best," Weiss answered, "If it's a metaphysical gift, like an experience, we usually ignore it unless it's relatively doable. It's the nature of our powers sadly. You can't really gift a kid superpowers or anything like that."

"Huh. That makes sense. Where are we going now?"

"Vacuo!" Weiss yelled back, "There's one last gift I need to get, and my sister has it!"

* * *

They were on a sand dune in the middle of the desert. A glowing white sleigh, leaking off a tiny bit of white light into the wind, was parked in front of three people. A tall woman in a red suit yelled at a rather disheveled man.

"Get in the damn sleigh, Qrow!"

"No way, Ice Queen. The last time I did, I fell a kilometer to the ground!"

"You passed out after drinking someone's Christmas gift!"

"What kind of kid asks for chloroform from Santa?!"

"He was a good kid, that's what I know, and because of you, I never fulfilled his wish."

"Yeah, some psychotic brat not getting a drug. I'm not losing sleep over that."

"That's in the past, so if you would please _get in my sleigh_."

"Why?"

"Because I'm fulfilling someone's wish damn it! Why can't you be like Taiyang? Look, he's cuddling the plushie he wanted from Santa."

"... Tai what are you doing."

"Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for this?"

Winter nodded, "Over thirty years. We had a backlog and the plushie should have been yours when you were seven."

"You are definitely Santa, Miss Schnee."

"No she isn't! She's just some crazy bitch with a glowing white sleigh and a bag full of deadly poison!"

"I'll have you know my gifts—"

 _Whoosh!_

"Sister!" Weiss shouted from far above them.

"Weiss! What are you doing here!?"

"Wondering why my last gift hasn't been handed over yet!" Weiss said.

"Sorry about the holdup! It's this one drunk asshole messing up the schedule!"

Qrow grumbled and began to retort, only for him to hear a shout, "Uncle Qrow!"

He looked up at Weiss' sleigh and saw his youngest niece waving at him, "Oh my gosh Uncle Qrow, my partner's Santa Claus!"

"Ruby!" Taiyang waved at her.

"Dad! My partner's Santa!"

"Yeah I see that!"

"It's so cool!"

"It is!"

Qrow grumbled and looked at Winter, "Fine I'll go. It's a free taxi ride out of this storm anyways."

Weiss landed her sleigh parallel to Winter's and hopped out, "Actually, since I'm here, I'll take you and Mister Xiao Long back to Vale," Weiss curtsied at Ruby's father, "Weiss Schnee, the Second Santa of the forty-fourth generation of Santa Claus, at your service, here to grant the wishes of all the good little children who believe in us."

"Okay. That sounds like some weird magical girl bull crap," Qrow sighed, "Also, neither of us is a kid nor believes in Santa. So I don't see why you're helping us."

Weiss chuckled, "Mister Branwen, who said you were the gift recipient?" she looked over at Ruby.

"Oh, I see what ya mean," Qrow smirked. He grabbed Taiyang by the shoulder, "Come on, let's go. We're taking the taxi with Ruby."

"Whoo! Best Christmas ever!" Ruby pumped her fists in the air.

As the two adults got into her sleigh, Weiss grabbed her reins. After Winter took off in her own sleigh, Weiss mushed her white reindeer, and they were off.

* * *

Meanwhile in Atlas, in the Schnee manor, inside the office of the President of the Schnee Dust Company, Jacques Schnee was toiling away. Papers needed to be filled out, last minute reports and funds needed to be allocated, there was no time to rest. He scribbled away with his pen in one hand, and a calculator in the other. His dark room was lit only by a burning log in the fireplace.

It was a quiet night, save only for the sound of his pen. Then a sound came from the rooftop and a boy fell out of his fireplace.

The white-haired boy stood up and adjusted his red hat, "Hello father. Burning the midnight lantern I see."

"Whitley. I see you're working hard as well," Jacques said, only glancing in his son's direction before continuing his work.

With a sigh, Whitley placed a flat box on his father's desk, "A man in his forties who still believes in Santa Claus. How odd."

Jacques chuckled and stopped his writing. He looked up at his son and softly smiled, "No matter how old I get, and no matter how far your mother and I drift apart, I will never forget the night I met her. I suppose, deep down inside, I still believe in her."

Whitley didn't say anything. He just took his bag and left. Jacques went back to work alone. Just like the rest of his family.

* * *

It was almost dawn when they arrived back in Vale. Weiss grumbled about her lateness before touching down on the Beacon rooftop. She turned to Ruby as Taiyang and Qrow left the sleigh.

Ruby had fallen asleep, and Weiss was about to wake her up when she had a thought. A simple thought. A funny thought. A grin spread across her face.

* * *

Ruby Rose jolted awake and found herself in the student lounge, lying down on the recliner. She squirmed to the side, only to have a party horn toot in her face.

Her older sister was in front of her, grinning as she blew the horn again, "Merry Christmas, Rubes!"

"Yang!" Ruby batted the party accessory out of the way. She turned around to see a small party underway, her classmates talking to each other and unwrapping gifts.

"Sorry sis, we wanted to have the party, but we also didn't want to wake you up, so we compromised and let you take the chair," Yang said, "You were in such a deep sleep, you must have been exhausted from training yesterday."

"Training, yeah," Ruby nodded. She frowned, "Where's Weiss?"

Yang shrugged, "Haven't seen her since yesterday. Didn't she say she was busy?"

It was at that moment, in accordance with dramatic timing, that the door burst open, and Weiss stepped into the room. She walked over to the sisters and smiled, "Merry Christmas, Ruby, Yang. I think I have a gift for you two," she gestured at the door.

Qrow and Taiyang walked in, along with Professor Port, who was chatting up a storm with their father.

"It certainly is marvelous to see you two here at Beacon on this day. Indeed! Oh! I just remembered, I have something I must give to Glynda, farewell gentlemen!" Port waved them away as he dashed out the door in a manly manner.

"Uncle Qrow! Dad!" Yang jumped up and wrapped her arms around her parental figures' necks and drew them in for a hug.

Ruby smiled too and walked towards them, but she glanced at her partner, "Weiss?"

"Yes Ruby?"

"Did what happened last night actually happen?"

Weiss gave her an innocent look, "What do you mean?"

"Uh," Ruby twiddled her fingers, "How did you get them back from Vacuo so quickly?"

"Oh it wasn't me," Weiss explained, "My sister found them while on a mission in Vacuo, and with her connections, chartered them a flight back to Vale."

"Are you sure?" Ruby rubbed her head, "I could have sworn last night… You were Santa Claus and had a magic sleigh with white reindeer and we flew across Vale…"

"Well I'm glad you had a very nice dream. I'm afraid I didn't get much sleep, but a few cups of holiday-themed coffee did a wonderful job," Weiss smiled.

"Yeah," Ruby grinned back, then joined Yang in her family hug.

* * *

As the party ended, Ruby, Jaune, and Weiss were left to clean up after drawing the short straws. Jaune cleaned up plates while Weiss handled the decorations and Ruby sweeped the floor.

"Hey Weiss? So, I wanted to ask…"

"Fine, it's the holidays, so I will _humor_ you," Weiss said dismissively, "One date. A movie and a dinner. I pick the movie and the time. We split costs."

"Really?!"

"Yes! Anything to stop your constant attempts to court me," Weiss sighed, "One date, just to see how things go. It doesn't work, you stop asking me, capiche?"

"Y-yes!"

"Good."

Ruby frowned at that. Something nagged at the back of her mind. Thinking on it, she swept around the fireplace until she found something on the ground.

A cracked glass and a couple broken cookies? Wait…

Ruby's eyes widened. She whispered, "A metaphysical gift, like an experience…" she looked at Jaune, "Like a date."

She looked down and found a broken plate as well. Ruby chuckled and swept the floor.

Afterwards, she walked up to Weiss and, before she could resist, hugged her.

Weiss squirmed a bit until Ruby whispered, "Merry Christmas, Weiss. And thanks."

"You're welcome," Weiss replied.

"Sooo," Ruby fidgeted while she held her partner tightly, "I forgot to get you a gift this year."

"No Ruby, you gave me the best gift I could ever want already," Weiss said.

"So uh, can I hang with you again next Christmas Eve?"

"Sure," Weiss answered, "It'll a nice change of pace."

"Maybe next time, I'll come dressed as a reindeer? Ruby the Red-Nosed Reindeer?"

"More like 'Ruby the Red-Nosed Elf'. I could use an assistant," Weiss smirked.

"We'll see," Ruby waved her hand in front of both of them, "But don't try to make it seem like a dream again."

"I am supposed to try my best to keep it a secret, but sadly, you are too perspicacious for my magical abilities."

"Yes. Perspicacious. That describes me. I am that."

"You're getting a dictionary next year."

"Aww…"

* * *

A/N: The more I write a character, the more I like them. That's probably where this idea came from. That being said, dust would be the coal equivalent on Remnant, and the SDC mines dust, so clearly there's a connection there.

Is this fic White Knight? Only if you want it to be. For all we know, the date doesn't work out and they stop dating. Or it continues. Not really important, just that Weiss granted Jaune's wish to go out with her just once…

If I ever wrote a continuation to this, it would definitely be as a new chapter rather than a sequel. Maybe next year, if I'm inspired. So yeah, Merry Christmas, all.


	2. Blake Friday

The airship ride to Atlas was tense and awkward. Her father- her magicless, auraless, _defenseless_ father- flew all the way to war torn Vale to bring her home.

Beacon was in ruins. The White Fang destroyed it, only to be eaten alive by the Grimm they themselves had brought into the city. The tower exploded, and Pyrrha was dead.

Weiss gripped the hem of her skirt. She and Ruby were so close. It wasn't fair. If she was able to just tap into her magic, just a bit more speed, then maybe—

She didn't realize she was shaking until her father stopped her. His cold hand rested atop hers. She blinked back tears. Her free hand rubbed them away.

He softly whispered, "It's okay to cry."

That broke it. For the rest of the trip home, Weiss bawled her eyes out, staining her father's suit as he held her.

* * *

Time passed. The snowfall in Atlas got heavier. The frozen landscape became even colder.

"Father, why did you bring me home?" Weiss asked as the two of them walked down the cold, white hallways of their manor.

He didn't look at her, "I wanted you to be safe."

"I can handle myself," Weiss said, "And I need to prepare. I've been home for two weeks now, practicing, singing, reading, attending that banal charity event, but you and I both know it's getting close to Christmas."

Jacques twitched his mustache and spoke, "The list has changed."

Weiss blinked, "What?"

He nodded, "It updated sometime after Beacon fell," he looked out the window at the winter sunrise, seeing the frozen ice reflecting light back, "You should see it."

Weiss nodded, "I'll go right now. Can you come too?"

Jacques agreed.

* * *

Underneath the Schnee manor, on its lowest level, deep underground, was a little brick hut. It wasn't very big, maybe only three or four people could comfortably stay inside it, made only more apparent since the level was built like an airship hangar, with a ceiling over forty feet high.

Father and daughter walked up to the hut. Weiss came first and put her hand on brass doorknob connected to the wooden door. Above it was a wooden sign with faded letters that spelled out "-nta's Workshop".

She turned the knob and pushed the door open.

If Weiss was being charitable, she would have called it rustic. Her heels clacked against the wooden floor as she walked past the wooden bench full of old rusted tools. She went into a small nook, revealing an old worn desk with a single candle lighting it up, forever burning dimly. On that desk was the list.

When she was younger, before her magic manifested, she would spend hours just poring over the list, reading out the names of kids her age, kids she had never met, and looking at what present they wanted. She imagined why they wanted the gift, imagined what good deeds they did that year, or the bad things they did that got them dust. She never knew any of those names, even her classmates and peers seemed so different on paper than in person.

When she learned how to summon the sleigh, she could suddenly recall names and events from her memory, as if the list was in her head. But only when the time was right.

Weiss took the endless scroll and looked over it. She found Ruby and Jaune listed under 'Anima, In Transit' . She glanced back and saw Taiyang Xiao Long under 'Patch', and flipped around looking for Vale.

The list for the entire kingdom was less than four feet long.

"Vale still stands, but everything is in ruins and so many died," her father whispered, "Grimm roam the streets, food and water are scarce. The White Fang are rumored to be around. So many people fled the city, taking their children with them. And what's more, look at Menagerie."

"Menagerie?" Weiss glanced at her father, "It hasn't appeared on the list in almost a century."

He nodded, "Did your mother ever tell you why?"

Weiss shook her head.

"Sometime after the Great War, the family of Misfortune took control of the island. Claimed it as their own physical territory, unlike the temporal territory the other forces hold, and they don't pretend to be neutral."

Her father was well versed. When Weiss' grandfather chose him to be his successor, he meant it in everything but Santa. Mother was never very good at the politics involved, and the forces of the everyday loved it.

Weiss was the heiress after Winter left, and Jacques tried to teach her about the mystical world hidden in the Quotidian, but it was a lot to catch up on.

"They're becoming dangerous, and there have been rumors," Jacques said, "Tell me, what day was the last part of the Vytal Tournament."

She blinked, "November thirteenth, why?"

"What day of the week, Weiss?"

"... It was a Friday."

Friday the thirteenth. The unlucky day. But… bad luck was one thing, broken items, slips and falls, accidents here and there, not… a concerted terrorist plot that killed hundreds and displaced thousands. Bad luck couldn't possibly cause the sheer amount of destruction and carnage Weiss had seen.

"The power of Misfortune fluctuates, but is relatively high on Fridays. With what happened to Beacon, it's worrying."

"You said they were rumors," Weiss said.

"There is no definitive proof, but the coincidence is concerning. And… the Misfortune have always been territorial and aggressive."

She nodded.

"And Weiss, look," he pointed at the list. At a section that wasn't there the last time Weiss saw it.

Menagerie.

Belladonna, Ghira. 44 — _Nice._

There were names after the first, dozens of them, but that very first one, Weiss felt like she'd heard of it before.

"Belladonna…"

Her father nodded, "Ghira Belladonna, former leader of the White Fang and current chieftain of Menagerie. And, I presume, the father of your teammate."

"He believes in Santa?" Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"Belief is strange. And the list counts even wavering belief. It seems he still has a spark of childhood innocence in him," he chuckled, "Glad I'm not the only one."

Weiss snorted, "I don't think that's innocence from you, father."

"True, but it's best not to talk about such things with one's daughter."

"Yes, well what's the point of this then?"

"My point is that Christmas Day this year lands on a Friday," Jacques sighed, "I wanted to let you know and beg you to not go to Menagerie. I know I can't convince you not to go to Vale and its outskirts, since I know you can handle Grimm. But the island, Misfortune territory or not, is the stronghold of the White Fang as well. And whether or not Misfortune was involved at Beacon, the White Fang _definitely_ were."

"Can Winter handle it then?"

Jacques grimaced slightly, "There are a lot of refugees going to Mistral. She has her hands tied over there."

"So Santa's just not going to visit then?"

"Not this year, at least. If things calm down though..."

"Yes, if. I doubt they ever really will," Weiss looked back at the list, "Fine. I won't go."

* * *

More days passed, until it was time. Weiss knew it was Christmas not by seeing the clock strike midnight. She knew it because she felt _something unlock_ within her. A power she had but couldn't use, except when the time was right.

 _Would have been useful at the Battle of Beacon,_ Weiss traitorously thought. She could have been faster. She wasn't fast enough to save Pyrrha. She could have been stronger. She wasn't strong enough to stop the White Fang. She thought of many hypotheticals. She could have brained Cinder with her sack of infinite size and immeasurable weight, or pull out one of the many, many, actually powerful weapons inside it. She could have run over the rogue Paladins with her sleigh. She could have used it to reach the top of the tower in seconds with it.

But she couldn't. The power only worked a couple days out of the year. And if she tried to use it for anything else besides its purpose, the Schnees would have lost the whole thing for years.

Weiss gripped her dress. _Focus on what you have, not on what you don't._ That was the lesson her grandfather imparted on her, just weeks before he died.

After eating dinner and getting some rest, she felt like it was time. She decided to leave earlier than usual. The servants, maids, and butlers were gone, home with their families, leaving the manor almost empty. Within a couple hours, only her father would remain inside.

She brought her hand out in front of her, "Sack."

An ethereal white sack appeared in her grip.

"Suit. Hat," Red and white enveloped her, a fuzzy red coat, trousers reaching down to her ankles, and black boots covered her feet. A red hat with a puffy white ball plopped itself onto her head.

"Hmm," she mused. Some years, she also had yellow antlers on her hat. Oh well.

She shrugged and began writing a note. A simple thought told her where Ruby and Jaune were, off in the wilderness. She knew where to find them, and what to give each of them.

Weiss shook her head. No, she had to do her duty. But, that didn't mean she had to go back home when it was over. She wrote to her dad, how she was leaving for Mistral to be with her teammates. She would help them find Cinder Fall. She would avenge Pyrrha.

It would be dangerous. Her father wanted her safe.

She stuffed her suitcase into her sack. In an instant, it felt almost weightless to her. Deep breath. Weiss left the note on her bed and went to the roof.

* * *

Whitley would leave in an hour or so, since he was taking Atlas again. Her mother had already left for Vacuo. Weiss sighed. She was glad, almost. At least she didn't have to talk to her. Winter was out in Mistral on assignment, so she would take that kingdom.

That left Vale and Menagerie. So many people had left Vale and now lived on the outskirts. They were the ones that needed Christmas the most, but wouldn't receive anything. Not unless they believed. Weiss would visit as many as she could, but the people that believed in her was less than last year, so much less.

She walked out onto the rooftop, her red suit keeping the blistering cold at bay, the wind broken by the magic within her. The landing pad for airships was nearby, covered in a layer of ice and snow. No matter. She made a glyph on the ground.

"Sleigh," she murmured through the whistling wind as she looked up at the broken moon lighting up the frozen night sky.

Outshining the lunar light, her sleigh grew from the spinning glyph. Two ghostly white reindeer appeared next, connected by reins to the sleigh. They neighed silently, waiting for her to board the vehicle.

Weiss got into her sleigh and grabbed the reins. With practiced precision, she flicked the reins, and said, "Mush!"

The reindeer began galloping, pulling the sleigh along, building up speed as they approached the edge of the roof. One more flick and they leapt into the air. Instead of falling, the sleigh kept gaining altitude. She was off.

* * *

One transoceanic ride later, Weiss began descending on her first target: some houses on the northern edge of Vale's territory, a port town that traded with Atlas.

There were camps nearby as well, full of refugees. She would visit them, drop the presents in front of the community Christmas tree. Thank the gods no one wanted a pet this year. Although a young boy named Corvin wanted a potted orchid, so Weiss had to be careful. As she laid the plant down next to the other gifts, she passed a trickle of magic into it, just enough to protect it from the frost and snow. The magic would return to her by the next day.

Thirty presents, all huddled together in the snow. Weiss didn't shiver, but she saw her own frosty breath in front of her face. There were no lights out, save for her sleigh. Even the moon was covered by clouds down in Vale. The tree in the town square was sparsely decorated, just a plastic star and some tinsel. It was enough.

Everyone and everything but her was asleep in this small town. Nobody around but her.

She missed Ruby.

Weiss went back to her sleigh.

* * *

Vale proper was both treacherous and easy. The Grimm stayed mostly on the ground, and all of the flying ones ignored her. Just as usual. So long as she didn't provoke them. She would have used this aerial advantage to slay a few, if she had more time. No, she had distance to cover.

In only a couple hours, Vale was done. She would hit the south, then make her way to Anima. If she was lucky, she might even get to see Winter.

However.

Weiss recalled the children in Menagerie. Most of them were located in the capital of Kuo Kuana, but a scant number also resided in a few other places around the island. Winter had her hands full, while Whitley and her mother were too far away. Meanwhile she was already almost done.

It was her duty, after all. She had plenty of time. Why, if past Santas used to travel the entire world in one night with time to spare, she could make a trip to the far off island.

In and out, the White Fang wouldn't even notice. And even if they did, what were they going to do, chase her down with a Bullhead? Shoot at Santa Claus? Just in case, Weiss summoned a fake mustache and placed it over her upper lip.

Weiss also remembered her training with Winter: Always bring backup. And she knew just who to bring.

* * *

It made sense, go to Anima, then fly down to Menagerie, deliver her last presents, then swing back to Anima. Still, she had to be careful. Having Ruby in on her secret was more than enough, and while she was sure Ren could keep a secret, Nora and the idiot were another matter. She trusted them with her life, just not with this particular secret. That, and having Nora as an elf would have probably killed her in the long run from exhaustion.

Despite being a glowing white magical sleigh, it landed more quietly than most birds, and Weiss had yet to actually wake anyone up by it. Being Santa Claus had perks. Once she touched down in a dark grassy field just a short walk from Ruby's campfire, she quietly got out and slowly crept towards them. Weiss reached into her sack and pulled out gifts for Ruby and Jaune.

Four sleeping bags circled a dying fire, its embers barely lighting up enough to see. The moon was shrouded by clouds again, leaving the forest around her pitch black and full of shadows made from the fire's light.

She sighed when she realized what she was giving Jaune. She placed the circlet and broken spear pieces in front of the fire. For Ruby, well, Winter did send Weiss a letter written by Taiyang recently.

Weiss looked down at the sleeping bags. Jaune was awake and out, but away from the fire. She could feel Jaune swinging his sword in the distance, working through practiced motions, over and over again. He wouldn't notice her here, and he wouldn't go back to sleep for at least an hour.

Ren and Nora were both sound asleep, and Ruby—

Weiss tried her best not to squeal and yelp when she felt warm arms wrap around her.

"Hey Weiss," Ruby whispered, "I knew you'd come."

When Ruby let go, Weiss pointed in the direction of her sleigh. The two snuck off into the night sky.

As the wind howled around the sleigh as it streaked towards the south, they tried to catch up on everything since Weiss went back to Atlas.

"The forces of misfortune rule over Menagerie?" Ruby asked.

Weiss nodded as she steered the reindeer in the right direction, "Unlike the other holidays, the family of Misfortune's power fluctuates throughout the week, always peaking on Friday. Friday the thirteenth is their stronghold, the day when the worst luck unfolds and their magical power is at their height, their influence more powerful than anything else," Weiss shook her head, "Today, the twenty-fifth, is a Friday, and as we get closer to Menagerie, I can feel _something_."

"Like a weird throbbing? Or is it like an itch? Oh maybe it's butterflies?" Ruby said, looking down at the black, empty ocean beneath them, seeing the light of the sleigh and moon reflecting back.

"Stomach butterflies, but in the back of my head," Weiss decided, "It's like that."

"Oh. Neat," Ruby looked at Weiss now, "So how are we going to deal with the White Fang? How much asskicking are we going to do? I know you can't do much, but I'm here, and I totally am ready to be your cool elf bodyguard."

"None. We go in, and leave without a trace," she looks at Ruby pouting, "Come on Ruby, it's dangerous and we have presents to deliver. Besides," Weiss said, "A considerable portion of the Nice kids in Menagerie this year have White Fang parents or relatives, so it's already messy."

"Fine," Ruby grumbled, "Tell me when something cool happens."

Weiss flicked the reins again, preparing the sleigh for descent in the northern part of the island.

* * *

After drop-and-runs across Menagerie's countryside, Weiss felt ready to fly over the capital proper. If Weiss could hide from Vale's criminal underworld, she could definitely hide from the hundreds of thousands of faunus all living cramped up together. All with night vision better than hers. And hadn't been visited by Santa Claus in almost eighty years. That just meant Weiss was pioneering, delivering presents to a long lost continent!

Ruby called it 'being squeamish'. Ruby was clearly wrong.

The sleigh zoomed across the sky, and Weiss began pulling off an old technique Winter once taught her: aiming the presents down the chimney and landing in front of the tree. All those years of target practice were ready to pay off. Weiss bested Ruby in marksmanship two times out of seven after all. From high above, she threw six presents into nearby houses, the boxes magically shifting and shrinking into the chimneys they landed on.

Weiss could feel where each present landed, and was happy with how close they were to the trees. Sure Menagerie's trees were of a more tropical cultivar, but it was the thought that counts. Ruby was in awe at the spectacle, watch the veritable volley of boxes and wrapped gifts fly through the air.

"Where was this skill and accuracy when we were training, Weiss?"

"Magic of Christmas, Ruby. Only works during Christmas."

"Next year, we have to set up some target practice when you're done, because this version of you would be _awesome_ to compete against."

"Hey!" Weiss said as she threw a green-and-red paper wrapped trombone down a crooked chimney, "Are you saying I'm normally not awesome?"

"You know what I mean," Ruby's face lit up, "Hey, can I try?"

"Surprisingly, there are no houses that can fit a present through their chimney, past their fireplace, and land next to a tree or in a stocking without breaking anything or waking anyone up. Maybe next year I'll let you throw one down your own house's chimney."

"Spoilsport."

"Reckless idiot."

"You've done it twenty times in the last ten minutes!"

"Yes, but only because I have—"

"Don't say it!"

"The magic of Christmas!"

After only thirty minutes, Weiss had already delivered most of the presents to the crowded city. Now she felt truly ready to drop down onto rooftops and hand deliver to those houses where the tree was too far away from the fireplace.

Eighteen presents left.

"Come on, land already Weiss. The house isn't going to bite," Ruby elbowed her side.

The sleigh was hovering above a wooden house. Weiss gulped as she peered over the edge.

"Oh for crying out loud," Ruby reached into Weiss' sack and pulled out a green hat with fake elf ears attached. She also pulled out a rope and a flashlight. Tying the rope to the side, Ruby began to rappel down.

"Hey Ruby what are you doing? Where did you get that? You'll get hurt or wake someone!"

"I'll be fine!" Ruby yelled back, "Worst thing to happen is I break my fall with that tree!"

That was exactly when things went wrong.

First, the rope inexplicably began to fray and snapped in half, plummeting Ruby into said tree. At the same time, the sleigh was suddenly bombarded by an anti-air attack.

"Shoot!" Weiss yanked the reins, driving the sleigh to her left, just enough to avoid the second attack. Her scroll buzzed, and after dodging the third strike, checked it.

 _I'm okay_. Ruby had texted her.

That was good, Ruby can take care of herself. Just to be sure, Weiss reached into her sack and pulled out an iron scythe and dropped it to the ground. When that was done, she flew higher into the sky and into cloud cover while trying to inspect the damage.

"Dust rounds," she murmured, "Small caliber. Based on the speed of the shots, assuming one assailant, a pistol?"

Huntsman trained then. Ruby would have better specifics, but what mattered was chasing after them. Yes, Weiss, for the next few hours, was incredibly durable and difficult to hurt. Taking the attention of the enemy to draw them away from Ruby was best. She could always pick her up after. She put her white mustache back on.

Weiss charged forwards and downwards. Past the clouds and down at a nearby building, she saw a dark figure on top of a roof. It was an occupied building, so ramming was out of the question.

After taking a deep breath, Weiss jumped out of her sleigh and landed on the roof, her sleigh flying back into the clouds to dematerialize away from prying eyes. With the poise of a ballet dancer, the balance of a figure skater, and the grace of a Schnee, Weiss landed on the roof's apex, displacing not a single tile.

She pointed a finger at her opponent, "You there! How dare you disturb my most important mission?"

The dark figure growled. Black pointed animal ears twitched as a dark miasma bled into the surroundings. The figure's inhuman yellow eyes glared back and pulled out a blade pointed at Weiss, "Leave this place immediately!"

"Hmph. Well, this is part of my duty, so I must," Weiss then yelled out, "Cane!"

A white stick appeared in her hands, red stripes flowing over it until it reached the pointed sharp tip. With the bend as her hilt, the giant candy cane was a powerful blade.

"Santa," the black being spat out, "No… _Schnee_."

Weiss shivered at that. The way it said her name, that voice, it sounded familiar. Dangerous. She'd heard that tone once before, when she first met Ruby…

"Blake?"

The yellow eyes narrowed, "Weiss. I should have known. I should have figured a goddamn Schnee like you would be here!"

Blake lept at her, Gambol Shroud slashed to Weiss' side, giving her barely enough time to parry with her cane.

"Blake, what are you doing?! I'm just here to deliver presents!"

Another slash came at Weiss, who dodged the tip by a few inches, "Presents, how materialistic, _Schnee_. Always about money and buying gifts, when all that does is hurt people!" she slammed her sword down at Weiss.

Santa Weiss brought her cane out in front of her, blocking the sword from cutting her entire body in half. An exaggeration, sure but Weiss didn't have time for a better expression.

Blake put her whole weight down on Gambol Shroud, and the large cane began to crack. Magically enhanced sugar and corn was still weaker than actual steel, after all.

"Candle!" a bright light appeared next to them, blinding Blake. Weiss rolled out of the way, allowing the sword to bury itself into the roof.

"I sense a story here, Blake. What happened?" Weiss asked.

Blake snarled, "If you're dying to know, I had a friend once, well an ex-boyfriend. Because of the Schnees, he became a monster."

Weiss mouthed out before speaking, "You dated Adam Taurus. He's been Naughty for a long time, Blake."

A glyph appeared below Weiss' feet, propelling her forward, "And if you believed, so would you!"

Blake barely dodged the first cane strike aimed for her shoulder, only for Weiss to hit her in the stomach with her fist. The cane flipped around as Blake grabbed Weiss by her suit collar and head butted her. Weiss pulled back the cane, its hooked end grabbing Blake by her neck and pulling her down far enough for Weiss to knee her in the chest.

Then the black miasma grew in size and began to envelop both of them. Weiss began to gasp for air as Blake grabbed her by the throat, her grip breaking through Weiss' aura.

"I'm not going to kill you. I'm just going to launch you as far away as possible. Anything left to say?"

Weiss blinked and croaked out, "Checkmate."

Blake was then immediately knocked in the back of her head by the blunt end of a scythe. The miasma shrank until it went back inside Blake's body, revealing Ruby panting. She looked down at Blake and back at Weiss, "It's 'cause she's a black cat, isn't it?"

Weiss stroked her chin, "Gods, Blake is such a walking stereotype."

* * *

The two of them carefully carried Blake off the roof and into the nearby jungle, laying her down next to a fallen log. After tying her up with the leftover rope, Ruby asked, "Does your bag come with smelling salts too?"

Ruby was also enamored by the giant candy cane, because apparently it forged in a molten oven and kneaded in over a thousand times. She also found it very tasty.

"I believe so, but they'll be mint chocolate," Weiss responded as she dug through her sack.

"So you can make a candy cane, clothes, and a sleigh by shouting it out, but you have to look through your bag for salts and a scythe?" Ruby asked after licking again.

"I summon magical items, while the sack produces mundane presents. I might be able to make magic smelling salts, but those would probably wake everyone up in a two block radius."

"So you _can_ make magic smelling salts, and a magic scythe," Ruby's eyes lit up.

"Only if they are very Christmas themed. Found them," Weiss said and placed the salts below Blake's nose.

"I still can't believe our team Scrooge was Blake all along," Ruby said, "Why aren't you wiping her memories like you did me?"

"She might be resistant to it. I still need to figure out why it failed with you."

"Obviously I'm too, er, perspiration for your black magic."

"Oh hush, she's waking up. Also, it's 'perspicacious'."

Blake's eyes fluttered open and focused on the candle in front of her.

"WhooOOOoo~ I am the Ghost of Christmas Past, forsake all hope, all ye who enters, ye!"

Blake frowned, "I know that's you, Ruby."

"Psst Weiss, this isn't working."

"That's because you didn't even bother putting on the right accent!" Weiss hissed back. She then turned to Blake and spoke normally, "Hello Blake, feeling less homicidal right now?"

Blake just gave Weiss a look, then glanced at Ruby, then at the candle, then back at Weiss, "Yes. For now."

"Come on Blake, we're a team! We're gonna stick together no matter what," Ruby put her hand on Blake's shoulder, making her upper ears twitch slightly.

"That was before…" Blake looked Weiss' hat.

"Seriously? You actually dislike me more because I'm Santa Claus than being a Schnee?" Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's a combination," Blake looked away, "Let me tell you a story. Once there was a little faunus girl, and a little faunus boy, and they were with the White Fang. Their families were part of the White Fang too, and travelled all over the world, advocating for equality."

"With explosions and murder," Weiss added.

"This was before that!" Blake snapped, "Unlike a lot of faunus families, we had some money, and we wanted to get our parents something for Christmas. We heard there was going to be a big sale for one day in November for Christmas shopping. We snuck out after dinner, and waited in line with everyone else. It was the latest we'd ever stayed up outside.

"When the clock struck midnight, all hell broke loose. We were kids, you know? Everyone around us was bigger, angrier, and more desperate. By the time we actually got inside the building, I heard that someone was dead."

Weiss and Ruby were silent.

"The worst part, the moment that changed him forever, the moment that scarred him for life, was when he was branded. The crowds were everywhere, in every aisle, every corner, all the shelves rocked back and forth, and to make space for more product to sell, a lot of things were taken out of their boxes and placed bare."

Blake took a breath, "The two of us were pushed around, and as we tried to get to where we wanted, we ended up stuck in the kitchen section. The shelf was tipped over by two humans fighting over something. He pushed me out of the way, and he was hit in the face. The impact scarred him for life.

"Ever since he was mutilated by an SDC brand microwave, he changed. He was bitter, spiteful, full of anger and hatred. He put all his effort into training, becoming a fighter, learning to kill humans. That culminated in the Fall of Beacon."

Blake looked up at Weiss, "Every year, all those big corporations prop up the idea of Christmas and Santa, using it to sell toys and games and stupid mall stuff. My mother never had good things to say about the other members of the Quotidian, always using their fame and legends to make Lien, never caring for the consequences."

Her yellow eyes glistened in the moonlight, "And that's why I curse at you, _Santa_."

It was silent after that, for a few minutes. The only sounds were some crickets chirping and rustling by nocturnal rodents.

Weiss looked at Blake, pressed her palms together and took a deep breath. When she exhaled, she said, "I see now. You don't actually hate me, in fact, I think you blame yourself, don't you?"

"What?" Ruby said, but Blake's expression proved it, "How could this be Blake's fault?"

"She's a black cat, Misfortune incarnate. Wherever she goes, people suffer. That incident with your friend, it was Black Friday, wasn't it? Friday, November thirteenth, six years ago?"

Blake nodded.

"You were there, making a bad situation worse. You weren't in control of your powers yet, right? And for a while, you thought everything was fine, then Beacon fell, Yang lost her arm, and everyone is scattered."

Blake didn't say anything. Weiss continued on.

"So you curse me out, try to drive me away, because it's a Friday, and I'm here in Menagerie, the epicenter of bad luck, yes?"

Blake nodded frantically.

"Well Ruby, there you have it. I suppose Father was right after all. I'll just leave the presents here with you to deliver then, Blake."

Her ears perked up, "What?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, "If Santa can't deliver, then I'll have an elf do it in my stead," she pointed at Ruby and her green costume.

Ruby giggled, "Yeah, we can do that. Actually, maybe I'll stay with Blake and help out. I think I've got a rough idea how Santa works."

"No no Ruby," Blake shook her head, "Please, don't."

"Nope," Ruby said as she booped Blake on the nose, "As your direct elf superior, I say nope to that," she gave a wide smile, "Besides, my Uncle has a bad luck semblance, so it'll be like a normal Christmas back home!"

"But, but," Blake began to stammer.

"No buts, Blake!" Weiss wrapped an arm around her shoulders and with a touch of magic, gave the faunus a green costume with matching green tights, "The hat and elf ears are for veterans," she pointed at Ruby, who gracefully emphasized the headwear.

"Oh! And since you've actually driven Qrow home last Christmas, you're as resistant as I am! Blake, Weiss can totally deliver presents too!" Ruby started jumping with glee.

"And we'll have to work fast, it's getting close to daylight," Weiss jumped into the air and with a flick of her hand, a glyph appeared on the ground beside them. A sleigh sprouted out of the ground, only for its left rail to break off with a crack. They all looked at the broken railing, then at the reindeer that materialized. Weiss tried to stay upbeat, "We can work with that."

"It's the bad luck that's seeped into the ground here," Blake said, "It's affecting your summons."

"Hmm," Weiss wondered, "Your mother is the current head, right? Does she come here often?"

"This is sometimes used as a market space," Blake looked at her, "How did you know it's my mother? We don't advertise that."

Weiss smiled, "Your father appears on my list. You don't, and neither does your mother. I can track the location of those on it, and your magic interferes with mine, so…"

"Then yes, my mother is the current head of the family of Misfortune, self proclaimed rulers of the island, and current political leaders too," Blake sighed, "And I'm the heiress, much as it pains me to admit."

"We can talk about this later," Weiss said, "We all have mommy issues here on Team RWBY, so it's par for the course."

Ruby raised her hand, "We do?"

Weiss shut her mouth. She brought Blake into the sleigh, then whispered, "I've said too much."

"What do you mean, Weiss? Weiss!" Ruby pouted as she got into the sleigh. Weiss laughed awkwardly as she flicked the reins.

* * *

Blake was noticeably spooked when she first saw Weiss enter a ten-inch wide chimney. Weiss laughed and Ruby just patted Blake on the back. They had gotten the seventeen presents down, with Blake assisting with eight of them, since Weiss was adamant that bringing along one other person into someone's house was already pushing it.

There was one present left, a small blue box with a green bow on top.

"This is for your father," Weiss said as she handed it to Blake, "Ruby and I have to get back to Anima before I run out of magic."

"I thought you had it all of Christmas Day?" Ruby asked.

"I do, but I have to take a few hours break, and I do not want to risk being a Schnee on this island without my incredibly potent magical abilities."

Blake could only nod, "I'll deliver this. I guess… this is goodbye for now."

Weiss gave a soft smile, "You can come with us, you know. We can deliver this gift next year, it's happened before. I don't know what exactly is going on in your family, but well, we're here."

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, it'll be fun. We've got Ren and Nora still trying to come up with a good team name, and Jaune being Jaune."

"It does sound fun," Blake smiled, imagining what it'd be like, "But I can't. Not yet. I've got something I have to do here, stuff with the White Fang. I've hurt some people, not because of bad luck, but because of mistakes I've made. And there are people here who are doing bad things that I need to stop."

"You'll be fine?" Ruby asked.

"Of course, Ruby. Sun's around, believe or not. He still hasn't noticed anything yet, but he's reliable."

Ruby smiled, "Tell him we said hi."

Weiss twitched, "We have to go. Goodbye Blake. Good luck with the White Fang. Oh, and make sure your mother doesn't touch the box until after Ghira opens it," she waved Blake goodbye and flicked the reins, bringing the sleigh, with her and Ruby on it, into the sky.

Blake waved back, and began walking back to her parents' house.

* * *

"You're back. And without your friend," Blake's eyes glanced up from the ground at her mother, who was part way on the staircase, dressed in night robes.

Kali Belladonna gave a disappointed frown before pointing at the gift in Blake's hands, "What is it?"

"I don't know. It's for dad, and him alone. That's what she said."

"Hmm," Kali tsked before walking back upstairs, "A shame. I expected better from you. Christmas' invasion into November should have been punished, but it seems you can't separate business from pleasure. We'll have to work on that."

"Yes, mother," Blake's ears drooped as she looked back at the ground.

"That's a good dear. You'll make a powerful Miss Fortune yet."

Blake was soon alone on the first floor. She walked over to the stocking hung over the fireplace, and placed the box inside. Her father would wake up early to find the gift, whatever it was.

* * *

The wind howled around them as Weiss began descending. It was almost dawn at this point, and her magic was tapped out. Weiss wiped the sweat from her brow as she landed the sleigh in a grassy field not too far from Ruby's campsite.

"The magic is actually split off among the four current Santas, so I'm not even at peak power. My mother has the most, being of the previous generation, but my siblings and I are still growing," she smiled, "If that fight with Blake took place a few years later, I might have been able to best her, even if she's got half of all misfortune."

Ruby nodded, then asked, "So, my uncle has bad luck. Is he related to them somehow?"

Weiss shrugged, "Maybe. More likely to just be a coincidence, I'm sure there are other non-Santa people out there who can summon."

"Yeah. Hey, can you summon like, an Atlesian Battleship instead of a sleigh?"

"... No. I mean, maybe for a couple minutes, if all of us Santas were together and a Nice child wished for it for Christmas."

"I know what I want next year!" Ruby began rubbing her hands together.

"That reminds me," Weiss handed Ruby a wrapped present.

"Ooh! What'd you get me? It's…" she frowned, "A dictionary."

"And a thesaurus. I even bookmarked 'perspicacious' for you," Weiss allowed the sleigh and reindeer to pop out of existence, then made her clothes and sack slowly disintegrate with time, letting off a golden yellow glow. She had taken her suitcase out.

Ruby pouted. Weiss giggled before she pulled out another present from inside her suitcase, "Here's your real gift. Merry Christmas, Ruby."

"Thanks," Ruby's eyes lit up, "Oh! I left your gift back at the campsite. Come on, let's go, Jaune and Nora are going to freak when they see you. Ren will probably just take it in stride."

"Yes, that sounds right," Weiss smiled. She lost the ability to track Jaune, "Lead the way."

Ruby smiled and dragged Weiss by the wrist as the sun began to peek out from below the horizon, bathing the sky with shades of orange and purple.

* * *

Ghira held the box in the palm of his hand. It felt _different_ than anything else on the island. He took off the green bow and opened the top. Inside it was a single four leaf clover, dipped in gold. It was attached to a gold chain, and he could tell by the weight that it was high karat.

It would make a great wedding anniversary gift. He shook his head and chuckled.

* * *

A/N: Willow is still an alcoholic in this AU, by the way. Alcoholic married woman Santa with adult children Santas sounds like a bad movie premise. As hinted, her relationship with Weiss is strained. I haven't seen volume 7 yet, so think of this as one of the last fics with pre-show appearance Willow. Who I imagine to look like an older version of Winter.

Because Weiss flew herself, Pilot Boi never went on that airship ride, and thus did not perish. Hooray!

Since Thanksgiving doesn't exist on Remnant, or if it did, it's at a slightly different time, Black Friday can totally happen on Friday, November thirteenth. Also, yes, that is my headcanon for how Adam got his scar. Can't prove it's not true, he's dead, and dead men tell no tales. Yes, it's supposed to be stupid.

This chapter was a bit different, but hopefully overall has the same tone. Probably not the best quality, since I ran into writer's block halfway through and slightly rushed writing the last half. If I do write a third chapter, I plan on starting much sooner. So yeah, Merry Christmas everyone!


End file.
